


Happy

by crimsonkitty



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Communication, Crossover, Fluff, Kingkiller Chronicle, M/M, Nonverbal Communication, Pre-Slash, Teaching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-02
Updated: 2014-02-02
Packaged: 2018-01-10 23:22:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1165808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsonkitty/pseuds/crimsonkitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Geno teaches Sid how to smile with his hands. (Kingkiller Chronicle AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy

**Author's Note:**

> So I just finished “A Wise Man’s Fear” by Patrick Rothfuss (If you haven’t read it already, the Kingkiller Chronicle is a great series and you should definitely pick it up) and Tempi and Kvothe’s relationship reminded me waaaaaay too much of Geno and Sid if Geno was a mercenary warrior who smiled with his hands and Sid was a boy wonder magician. I wrote this in like an hour so all mistakes are my own. Also I don’t actually know any of the Adem hand gestures since they’re not described really with any detail in the book. So I made them up.

"Like this?"

They’re attempting nuance. Attempting. Sid has never stopped to think about the thousand different ways a man can smile using only his mouth. His eyes. His teeth. It simply is. It exists as he exists. Relearning it through his hands is now quickly proving close to impossible beyond a handful (if you’ll excuse the pun) of sloppy gestures he’s sure Evgeni is only letting him get away with because he thinks it’s funny watching Sid flounder.

His doubts aren’t at all assuaged when Geno falls to the floor, laughing so hard he’s holding his stomach with tears in his eyes.

Sid immediately drops his hands and puts them on his hips. He figures that sign is the same everywhere.

"I’m _trying_ ," he growls before screwing his face back into what he hopes is the usual Adem stoicism. He tries again.

He apparently gets it even more wrong because Geno laughs all the harder, banging his fist on the ground. He looks like he’s in pain. Sid hopes he is.

"Arlight," he calls out. " _Alright_. Get up already. Get up before I go find myself a new teacher and leave you here.” It’s not much of a threat. Sid knows of the two of them who is more likely to come out alive in a forest full of highway robbers.

Geno takes a couple moments to collect himself. Finally, his face is the familiar blank look he always wears.

"Sorry, Sid."

 _Apology_. _Dubious sincerity_. Sid doesn’t know the sign for the last one. He doesn’t need to.

"Whatever. Just. Just show me," he says, annoyed, as Geno gets to his feet. He doesn’t like failing.

"Not like this," Geno says gently, grabbing hold of Sid’s hands and tilting them an imperceptible (at least to Sid’s eyes) degree. "Like this. Unless you WANT seduce me."

"…oh." Sid can feel the blood rushing to his face. He tries to step back but Geno still hasn’t let go of his hands.

Geno tilts his head. “Not mean embarrass Sid.” If Sid didn’t know better, wasn’t so used to the softness of Geno’s voice, he’d almost say Geno was teasing him.

"Really?"

"Well. A little." He chuckles again. Sid’s shoulders sag.

"Come, Sid. Not so bad." He bumps Sid’s hands together like Sid is a woman he’s decided to court.

Sid has to fight the urge not to roll his eyes. He fights really hard.

He’s curious though. “How come you don’t laugh with your hands?”

Geno pulls a hand back and touches his arm. _Confusion_. Sid learned that one quickly.

"How come you do everything else with your hands except laugh," he tries to clarify. "Isn’t that a kind of happy?"

"Oh!" Geno touches his arm again but… differently. Sid can’t say how it’s different but he thinks it must mean understanding.

Geno mulls it over for a second, choosing his words. “You not laugh with hands,” he says, squeezing Sid’s hand affectionately. “You not laugh here too.” He reaches up and cups Sid’s face, thumb brushing against his mouth. The heat that had started to fade was suddenly back in full force. The Adem concept of personal space is still something Sid is getting used to.

"You laugh here," Geno says softly, dropping his hand from Sid’s face and placing it on his stomach. "Come from inside. From good place. Is good."

Sid clears his throat. Looks down at his hands.

"Like this?" _Happy_. _Affection_.

Geno smiles at him. His mouth turns up at the corners and his eyes crinkle. It’s the first time.

"Yes," he says. "Is good, Sid. Is good."


End file.
